Turn Off The Late Show After The Monologue
Or skip your favorite early-morning showwhatever it takes to grab a few more minutes of sleep each day. When researchers at the University of Chicago studied men who were sleep-deprived, they found that after just a few days, their bodies had a much harder time processing glucose in the blooda problem common in overweight diabetics. When the individuals returned to a more normal seven to eight hours of sleep a night, however, their metabolisms returned to normal.
What Should I Eat To Lose Belly Fat
Get the Recipe:Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach
There’s no one exact diet that blasts belly fat more than others. To reduce belly fat, you need to consider the timing, size and nutritional quality of your meals. This can help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce visceral fat and avoid uncomfortable bloating. Start with these tips to begin your journey to losing belly fat, the healthy way.
Eat Calcium And Vitamin D
Studies suggest calcium and vitamin D, two nutrients we typically associate with bone health, may be useful in our mission to reduce visceral adiposity. Researchers think these nutrients play an important role in how the body metabolises fat. Look to include dairy or fortified plant-based alternatives, canned oily fish with bones and egg yolks.
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Okay Now You Can Do Some Crunches
Although you cant spot reduce fat, you can target building lean muscle tissue, which in turn helps burn fat. There are literally dozens of muscles between your shoulders and your hips that are involved in every movement you do, says DiVecchio. The fastest way to create a lean midsection begins with choosing the right moves.
Aim to do ab work three or four times a week on non-consecutive days with at least 24 hours of rest in between sessions, says Gagliardi. During those sessions, you can start with simpler moves like crunches, bicycle crunches, and planks. Even though you may only be directly targeting your abs three or four times a week, you should still be activating your core in every workout you do, says Gagliardi.
There are tons of different ab workouts you can do right in your home. Once youre comfortable in an ab routine, work your way up to more complex ab exercises, like side-to-side med ball slams and weighted Russian twists, says DiVecchio.
You’re Not Tracking Your Progress
Another important point from Dr Luke. While every person is different and what weight loss plan works for them will be different, tracking your progress can serve as an encouraging reminder that what you are doing is working.
“There are some great apps and wearable tech devices available that make it easier to stick to your plan. They can help you monitor your goals, your food intake and the calories burned during exercise. If these arent an option, write down a meal and exercise plan. This will help you stick to your goals and remain focussed,” he explains.
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The Dangers Of Belly Fat Accumulation
In addition to the higher BMI, excessive fat accumulation in the abdomen area can potentially pose the following health risks:
- Heart disease
- Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
One cannot reduce belly fat overnight. A long-term plan is the best approach to losing belly fat. However, following the above tips can take you one step closer to your fat loss goals. That said, it is ideal to speak to an expert before you get started on your weight loss goals. Speak to some of Indias best nutritionists and fitness coaches, and begin your fat loss journey.
Ramp Up Your Cardio Exercise
You don’t have to be the next Usain Bolt in the making to enjoy some serious belly-slimming results from hitting the track from time to time. Even a moderate-rate jog a few times a week can blast through that belly fat in fact, a study conducted at Duke University Medical Center found that, over the course of an eight-month study, overweight adult study subjects who jogged 12 miles a week lost the most belly fat and burned 67 percent more calories than participants who did an equivalent amount of resistance exercise, or a combination of cardio and resistance work.
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Can You Lose Belly Fat Overnight
While nothing causes belly fat to melt away overnight, there are certain lifestyle modifications you can make to help your metabolism burn fat efficiently, even while at rest.
Getting enough quality sleep is paramount when it comes to health, including maintaining a healthy weight. Studies connect poor sleep to weight gain, so zeroing in on good shut-eye can help when it comes to losing weight, including belly fat.
Additionally, following Wards advice of limiting after-dinner snacking can help optimize digestion, which is beneficial when it comes to losing belly fat.
Why Does Belly Fat Usually Form
Weight gain as a whole is a little complicated but belly fat typically forms from consuming too many calories, which causes weight gain, says Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. That said, you really cant control where fat accumulates in your body. We have practically no control on where that weight goes, Gans says. It usually ends up on our belly or hips and thighs based on ones genetics, sex, and/or age.
Gaining weight quickly raises the odds that youll develop more belly fat, says Jessica Cording, R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. But different body types are more prone to storing fat tissue around the midsection, she says.
Certain other factors, like not getting enough sleep or being stressed out can also raise your risk of developing more belly fat, Cording says. Higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol has been shown to promote more accumulation of fat tissue around the midsection, she explains.
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Is Putting On Weight Just Part Of Getting Older
Its true that as we get older, we need less calories to keep our body working well. Changes to our hormones during this time mean that we start to lose muscle and gain fat. This makes it harder to keep to a healthy weight but thats not to say its impossible. In fact, people who are aged 65 and over are healthier than their ancestors and are living longer.
Although you cant escape the ageing process, when it comes to managing your weight, there are other factors that are within your control. These include your lifestyle habits, choices and behaviours and how active you are.
What’s The Best Way To Burn Belly Fat If You’re Over 40
One thing to note if you’re a 40+ woman: losing belly fat naturally might be harder than before. Let us introduce you to a new word: somatopause. It refers to the time in your life when the growth hormone somatotropin begins to decline, something that happens once you hit your 40s.
Combined with declining levels of oestrogen and progesterone, fat storage will also tend to move from your hips and thighs to your stomach. But, this isn’t the time to go HAM on HIIT workouts. Kate Rowe-Ham, personal trainer and founder of the Fit Hut in Sussex advises focussing on resistance training to build muscle tissue that’ll support your metabolism as you age.
‘You cant spot-reduce fat,’ says Rowe-Ham, referring to the myth of removing fat from specific parts of your body. ‘Increasing lean body mass by building muscle is the most sustainable way forward if healthy weight loss is the goal.’
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Swap Ketchup For Salsa
Sure, ketchup is tasty, but it’s also a serious saboteur when it comes to your weight loss efforts. Ketchup is loaded with sugar up to four grams per tablespoon and bears little nutritional resemblance to the fruit from which it’s derived. Luckily, swapping out your ketchup for salsa can help you shave off that belly fat at home without a diet. Fresh tomatoes, like those used in salsa, are loaded with lycopene, which a study conducted at China Medical University in Taiwan links to reductions in both overall fat and waist circumference. If you like your salsa spicy, all the better the capsaicin in hot peppers, like jalapeños and chipotles, can boost your metabolism, too.
Focus On The Way Your Clothes Fit More Than Reading A Scale
As you add muscle mass and lose fat, the reading on your bathroom scale maynot change much, but your pants will be looser. Thats a better mark ofprogress. Measured around, your waistline should be less than 35 inches ifyoure a woman or less than 40 inches if youre a man to reduce heart anddiabetes risks.
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Embrace The Power Of Protein
Protein serves a dual role in helping you trim down belly fat by increasing muscle mass and metabolism, while also helping stave off hunger. Research shows that a higher-protein diet increases thermogenesis, which might help you burn more calories. Further, eating protein could lead to increased satisfaction after a meal, which may help you eat fewer calories later in the day. This Chipotle Chicken Quinoa Burrito Bowl is a great lunch option to help you feel full and tide you over until your next meal.
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Take A Pass On Sodas And Juices
Sodas and juices can be sneaky sources of calories, Gans says, and they dont fill you up. If you cut back on your source of excess calories, wherever they may be coming from, that will help you lose weight, she says. While most people are aware that sodas are often liquid sugar, juices tend to have a health halo that isnt accurate, Cording says. When you drink juice, it doesnt have the same fiber as youd get by actually eating a piece of fruit that will slow down digestion, she explains. It hits the bloodstream really quickly and you can have a blood sugar crash afterward. Weeding out these drinks from your diet will help cut out these excess calorie sources and regulate your blood sugar, she says.
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How Do I Know If My Belly Fat Is A Problem
An easy way to assess if there may be a problem is to measure your waist. Experts suggest that for women a waist measurement more than 80cm and for men more than 94cm suggests there may be an issue. These guidelines are adjusted for ethnicity with South Asian, Chinese and Japanese men recommended to have a waist circumference no more than 90cm. If your measurements exceed these guidelines and you are concerned, refer to your GP for further guidance.
Ok So What Can You Do To Lose Belly Fat
Heres the thing: Just like theres only so much you can control about where you gain body fat, its equally tricky to dictate where youll lose it from.
Its essentially impossible to tell one specific region of your body to accelerate fat metabolism, says Chris DiVecchio, a NASM-certified personal trainer and author of The 5 x 2 Method: Revealing the Power of Your Senses.
It doesn’t mean that if you develop belly fat that you will be stuck with it forever, Cording says. But you dont get to pick where you lose excess weight. Still, if you want to lose belly fat, you usually need to focus on all-over weight loss methods to help drop weight around your midsection, she says.
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You’re Doing The Wrong Type Of Workout
Listen up here. “Only doing abdominal-focused workouts, like crunches, won’t help,” Luke emphasises Belly fat is simply where your body stores energy, so you need to take a whole-body approach to tackle it, he reckons. Try HIIT training he says it’s “a great way to burn fat and get your heart rate up”, with squats, burpees and treadmill sprints all being examples of moves to try.
Emily agrees, saying that, in its simplest form, training abs alone, won’t get you abs. “Focus on the staple movements and progressively getting stronger at them over time. I’m talking about your planks, crunches, twists, holds and v-ups.”
She also points out that compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, overhead press and pull-ups are all effective at activating and working your core. Her final two cents on it? “Moving your body in a way that feels good, and keeps you moving consistently.” Hear, hear.
Keep An Eye On Portion Sizes
Most people who have been lean their whole lives have a much better understanding of proper portion size than people who are overweight, says Deborah Riebe, Ph.D., a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Rhode Island. If they go out to eat, theyre much more likely to ask for a doggie bag right away or to leave food on their plate rather than cleaning it up.
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S For Beating Belly Fat
There are four keys to controlling belly fat: exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.
1. Exercise: Vigorous exercise trims all your fat, including visceral fat.
Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as it’s brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart rate faster than usual.
To get the same results in half the time, step up your pace and get vigorous exercise — like jogging or walking. You’d need to do that for 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week.
Jog, if you’re already fit, or walk briskly at an incline on a treadmill if you’re not ready for jogging. Vigorous workouts on stationary bikes and elliptical or rowing machines are also effective, says Duke researcher Cris Slentz, PhD.
Moderate activity — raising your heart rate for 30 minutes at least three times per week — also helps. It slows down how much visceral fat you gain. But to torch visceral fat, your workouts may need to be stepped up.
âRake leaves, walk, garden, go to Zumba, play soccer with your kids. It doesnât have to be in the gym,â Hairston says.
If you are not active now, it’s a good idea to check with your health care provider before starting a new fitness program.
2. Diet: There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight on any diet, belly fat usually goes first.
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Think Eating Plan Not Diet
Ultimately, you need to pick a healthy eating plan you can stick to,Stewart says. The benefit of a low-carb approach is that it simply involveslearning better food choicesno calorie-counting is necessary. In general,a low-carb way of eating shifts your intake away from problem foodsthosehigh in carbs and sugar and without much fiber, like bread, bagels andsodasand toward high-fiber or high-protein choices, like vegetables, beansand healthy meats.
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Research Shows Losing Weight Leads To Heart Health
A diet thats low in fat and carbohydrates can improve artery function,according to a 2012 study by Johns Hopkins researchers. After six months,those on the low-carb diet had lost more weight, and at a faster pace. Butin both groups, when weight was lostand especially when belly fatshrankthe arteries were able to expand better, allowing blood to travel more freely. The studyshows that you dont have to cut out all dietary fat to shrink belly fat.For heart health, simply losing weight and exercising seems to be key.
A Final Note On The Best Way To Lose Belly Fat
Okay, so we’ve given you the good stuff when it comes to learning the best way to lose belly fat and belly fat exercises to add in to your routine. Basically everything you need to know about how to lose stomach fat.
The one takeaway we hope you leave with, though, is that for all of the ways to lose belly fat, the way you speak to and view yourself is the most important thing in all of this. Whether you do or do not want to lose stomach fat, you are still worthy of love and respect from yourself. If you feel that the only thing you can focus on is trying to lose fat fast or entering into any unhelpful and unhealthy habits, take a step back and reassess. Focus on small things like watching your stress, sleeping well or choosing nutrient-dense foods. Small, attainable goals add up to very big wins don’t lose sight of that.
*Women’s Health Naked Survey 2018
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Reduce Your Sodium Intake
“This is especially important for women since our hormones can cause frequent water weight fluctuations. Where the sodium goes, water will follow,” Kostro Miller explains. “When you consume a lot of sodium which most Americans do our body adjusts accordingly by quenching our thirst and/or holding onto the fluid we already have in our body. When we decrease overall sodium intake, our body does not feel the need to hold onto lots of water, and the water we drink will hydrate us and then be flushed out.”
Eat More Healthy Fats
Although it may seem counterintuitive, increasing your intake of healthy fats may prevent weight gain.
A 12-month study associated following a Mediterranean diet rich in healthy fats from olive oil and nuts with greater long-term weight loss, compared with a low fat diet .
Another review linked diets enriched with olive oil to greater reductions in body weight and belly fat compared with diets without olive oil .
Whats more, increased intake of trans fats a type of fat often found in fried or processed foods is associated with increased long-term weight gain .
Olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds are just a few examples of nutritious fats that can benefit your health.
Keep in mind that healthy fat is still high in calories, so its important to moderate your intake. Instead of eating more fat overall, try swapping fried foods, processed ingredients, and refined oils for the healthy varieties above.
summary
A higher intake of healthy fats, such as olive oil and nuts, is associated with a lower risk of weight gain.
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